JARED OBUYA, Nairobi | Tuesday
JUST 10 companies can help save the world’s forests, says a report published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The planet has already lost half its original forests to meet world needs, yet, with proper management, only 600 million hectares will be enough to meet projected future needs, says the WWF.
This is only one fifth of the remaining forests, or forests twice the size of India.
“WWF believes that the commitment of all of the top ten companies would provide the incentive and the pressure to make the industry change,” said director of WWF’s forest for life campaign Dr Chris Elliot.
All that is required is for the 10 global companies that dominate the timber industry to adopt the effective management processes of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The FSC was established in 1993 by WWF and other organisations to certify forests and forest products as responsibly managed.
Although the WWF report has identified close to 100 leading companies who operate at a considerable scale, five have been acknowledged as the largest wood processing ones namely; International Paper, Georgia Pacific, Weyerhaeuser, Stora-Enso and Smurfit Stone Container, which process around 20 percent of the world’s industrial wood between them.
The companies’ support of FSC would provide the critical mass necessary to change forestry practices worldwide and halt the destruction of old growth forests or fragile ecosystems.
WWF is appealing to the remaining processors and buyers to seek full FSC certification and to take the lead in saving the world’s forests.
“The findings of this report are very encouraging, but forest management is crucial,” says Dr Elliot.
“If the top ten global forestry processors and buyers all insisted on FSC certification, this would be a big step towards securing the future of the world’s forests.”
Over 20 million hectares of forest in 35 countries have been certified but in spite of this, half of the world’s original forest cover has already been destroyed through rampant deforestation, widespread forest fires and illegal logging which still continue.
So far, almost 700 companies that produce and use wood have joined the global forest and trade network of FSC supporters.B WWF says that protecting, managing and restoring the world’s forests is the only way to conserve the remaining half. – African Eye News Service